Best option for a dedicated VR Rig

[Brightonuk]

I am eagerly waiting for the box to arrive (tomorow) and I am sure as with lots of others are looking at what computer to buy to run the Vive.

 I have tried to do as much research as I can but it just get blurry after the 15th review of gaming computers so…....hopefully someone here can offer some direction.

 

 The rig will be dedicated for the Vive I don’t game........yet and will not be using it for another purpose other than VR

It needs to have a small footprint and I can spend a max of $2K which I am thinking should set me up for life.

 

Thanks for any feedback

 

[dario]

Here's the recommended specs:

https://www.vive.com/us/ready/

[EmptyPipe]

I'd reccomend the Nvidia GTX 970 or higher for your GPU. 
Definitely want to get 16GB or Ram or more.

+ Make sure your Motherboard is compatible with your CPU, and Ram. 

If you're okay with splurging a bit, I picked up the Deepcool Genome ATX tower, which is the first ever tower to include an integrated Liquid cooling system. Definitely worth the money for that! ($250, Newegg.com)



 

 

[Brightonuk]

Thanks for the suggestions 

I am not looking to invest more time as I just seem to go round and round when trying to pick components for a self build I am looking for a ready to go rig.

(But with list in hand from you guys I might be tempted to take the time and build) but ready to go is my objective

 Things that don’t matter:

Name brand is not a selling point nor are flashing lights and I am not looking to overclock  or tweak just something that will play Vive with a bit of headroom in the capabilities of the system for future games that may require even greater resources.

 

 I am guessing an i7-5820K for sure and the GTX 1080 Graphics (or a 1070 to save some $$ ) good size SSD, Mother Board…..I  have no idea but the choice in CPU and Graphitic card should bullet proof me for the next couple of years.

 

One big issues is it needs to have a small footprint as it will be moved from one room to another for instance when the wife is watching dancing with the stars I can’t be dancing around in front of the TV.

 

[Brightonuk]

Looks big I need something as small as possible and then I run into what will fit that’s why a ready built seems my best choice 

[u2jimbo]

I just received my dedicated VR computer.  It is a Dell Alienware Aurora R5 with an i7-6500 CPU; 16 MB Ram; nVidia 1080 GPU; Windows 10 Pro installed; 1 TB 7200 rpm HD; and a 850 watt PS.  My son, an electrical engineer in Silicon Valley wanted me to build my own.  He provided all the specs + all the on-line, low cost sources.  That total cost was $250 more than the cost I paid Dell for the Aurora at $1746.  I negotiated with one of their Chat Bot assistants.  Later, I was cruising the internet looking for reviews of the Aurora R5 to validate my emotional purchase choice (I thought being an alien kinda went with the VR concept...).  Check out the very detailed review at: www.TomsHardware.com.  This computer was a very top performer.  This machine is very easy to work on and allows for a lot of future expansion.  Plus, its a very VR type design.

 

The installation of all the VR software; setting up the controllers; and getting many software and driver downloads and updates took a substantial amount of time - a couple of evenings for me.  Once completed, the VR system took off without a hiccup.  It is mind blowing!  Now I need to get proficient at using the VR tools.

 

Final thought - get the most powerful processor and graphics card you can afford plus a chassis that will allow for dual graphics cards - the technology will advance quickly.